CNET News Video: Google Glass: It's like a smartphone on your head

CNET News Video: Google Glass: It's like a smartphone on your head

2:39 /
May 3, 2013

Now that Google has released a limited number of Glass units for real-world testing, we're learning more about the wearable tech's capabilities and limitations. And if you think one is fun, check out what happens when there are two in the room. CNET's Kara Tsuboi got some insight from a woman who's been wearing Glass every day for nearly two weeks.

-It was pretty neat to be able to take a picture just using your voice.
Okay, Glass, take a picture.
-Lisa Oshima is one of the lucky few.
The mobile tech consultant was selected in a lottery to road test Google's biggest wearable tech investment -- Google Glass.
-It took, you know, a little bit of getting used to it in the sense that I wasn't used to having something on my face, but it was very much like wearing sunglasses.
-The $1500 Google Glass mimics smartphone functions.
You can
see texts and e-mails, make calls, take pictures and videos, get directions, and search.
-Okay, Glass, Google pictures of Barack Obama.
And now, you'll see the pictures of Barack Obama.
And when you see a little notification come up, you just look up and it's there.
It's not in your line of sight directly.
-A swipe of the finger takes you through different slides.
A tilt to the head, push of the button, or voice commands also controls the functions.
-I don't need to keep going in and out of my handbag for my phone.
I think that's the big thing.
-But it may take awhile before this technology goes mainstream.
-It means to be, frankly, a little bit more useful.
Right now, it doesn't even report, for instance, stock quotes unless you're searching Google for that.
There's no app for that.
Once there are a lot more apps, it will be a lot more useful.
-And then, there are questions of etiquette, safety, and privacy.
-There's no sort of social pack about when you can record things and when you can't and how clear you have to be about when you're taking pictures and when you're recording.
And I know that a lot of CNET's
audience has real questions about that and real concerns about what a world full of very subtle cameras means.
-A blogger snapped a picture of himself in the shower.
Some West Virginia lawmakers want to ban using Glass while driving and the Seattle bar warned on Facebook that it won't allow anyone inside with Glass.
And then, there is this issue.
-Okay, Glass, take a picture.
-You can activate someone else's Google Glass with your voice command.
-Mine took.
-Mine did too.
-Oshima wears them mainly
during work hours, but usually unplugs in the evenings.
-When you're having a conversation with someone, it's important to continue to have that conversation and not be distracted by either a phone or your Glass.
-About two weeks after wearing Glass daily, Oshima has a wish list and has given her feedback to Google.
-I want Twitter.
I want Facebook and I want a longer battery life.
If I take a lot of video or if I do a lot of navigation, the battery doesn't last as long as my mobile phone battery.
-Google Glass is expected to be released to the public early
next year with a significantly lower price.
In San Francisco, I'm Kara Tsuboi, CNET.com for CBS News.